The 49ers are where the Raiders were three years ago – drastically undermanned, in the midst of unrelenting losing, and with Fort Knox-like money under the salary cap. Obviously, the 10-2 Raiders have made the right moves in hiring coach Jack Del Rio, drafting players like Derek Carr and Amari Cooper, and acquiring players like …

On Sunday night, as some 49ers fans fired off death threats to Kyle Williams on Twitter, 7-year-old Owen Shure of Los Angeles began his own correspondence to San Francisco’s wide receiver.
Instead of anger, though, Owen’s words were filled with empathy… …

White Sox general manager Ken Williams is still feeling his son’s pain.
Kyle Williams of the 49ers muffed one punt and fumbled another in last Sunday’s NFC Championship Game as the Giants earned a berth in the Super Bowl. His fumble in overtime set up… …

The University of Pittsburgh announced today it has hired San Francisco offensive quality control coach Bobby Engram as its wide receivers coach. Engram, 39, will join the staff of first-year Pitt head coach Paul Chryst, the brother of Niners quarterbacks coach Geep Chryst. …

It appears the 49ers might have missed a spot in their extreme makeover this season.
And that area was impossible to miss for those paying attention during the postseason.
In two games, the 49ers wide receivers managed eight catches for 51 yards and on… …

The Niners have supported Williams amid widespread howling – and much worse – in the aftermath of their 20-17 overtime loss to the Giants. Young said that’s clear evidence of San Francisco’s tight locker room, a necessary ingredient for a championship team. …

We are still receiving complaints from fans who say it took over three hours to get to Candlestick Park for Sunday’s 49ers playoff game. There would probably be more, but we hear some are still stuck in traffic.
The gripes ran from simple outrage to de… …

Eli Manning goes to the Super Bowl next week looking for his second championship ring, which might be the perfect ending to a season that began with owners and players at war.
His older brother Peyton, plus Drew Brees and Tom Brady, lent their names… …

Not long before the 49ers’ memorable season ended, rookie fullback Bruce Miller recalled the forgettable way it began.
On Aug. 12, the Niners visited the Saints in their preseason opener and Miller, a college defensive end who had never played fullback… …

On his weekly KNBR appearance Wednesday, Steve Young echoed Harbaugh’s message. And he said that’s what made San Francisco’s 20-17 overtime loss to the Giants in the NFC Championship Game so excruciating. Sure, Young said, the Niners had a season no one saw coming. But they also had a clear path to the Super Bowl and let it slip away. …

In contract negotiations with the 49ers, it’s a safe bet Todd France and Drew Rosenhaus, the agents for cornerback Carlos Rogers and safety Dashon Goldson, respectively, will include one key item in their dossiers: San Francisco’s 2012 schedule. …

The battle over a new stadium for the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara seems headed to court – and, possibly, back to the ballot – after the Santa Clara City Council rejected petitions calling for a referendum to overturn an $850 million loan to the … …

Professional football’s detachment from the real world, already plain to all but the most hard-core fans, became even clearer in the fallout from Kyle Williams’ misplays in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game.
Most of us in the real world probably found it … …

Their season is over, but the 49ers are still setting franchise records.
The team announced Tuesday that long-snapper Brian Jennings was added to the NFC Pro Bowl roster as a need player by the Packers’ coaching staff. The addition of Jennings gives Sa… …

Assorted thoughts on the NFL during the interminable wait for the Super Bowl:
— Everyone agrees that the 49ers’ biggest need is at wide receiver, and DeSean Jackson’s name stands out like a searchlight on the free-agent list. The question is whether J… …

The only exception is Kyle Nelson (6-3, 240), a former tight end at New Mexico State who has was an undrafted free agent this past season. The 49ers list Nelson as a wide receiver, but he was a long snapper in stops with the Saints and Chiefs in 2011. …